The Distance Between Us
by kammad42
Summary: Beth and Daryl have survived the worst. After finally taking over Terminus, they feel as safe as they did when they were at the prison. How long will it last, though? There's still a big threat out there and it's worse than they possibly could have imagined. Sequel to Stuck!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: YAY! THE FIRST CHAP! Sorry that it's kinda sucky... and a HUGE THANK YOU TO XOULBLADE FOR MAKING THIS AWESOME COVER OR PICTURE FOR THIS STORY! SO AWESOME! Please favorite, follow, and review this story along with the first one, Stuck! HAPPY READING!**

As the sun started to rise in the early morning, a deer lied on the dry grass and dead leaves under a tree. It licked at its paws, cleaning them. An arrow went flying through its eye within seconds.

A hint of a smile showed on Daryl's mouth as he stalked towards its body. Rick was close behind him. He ripped the bolt out of its socket and turned to his friend. "Should be more than enough for today." The two had also managed to grab a few rabbits and a squirrel for their group. Rick nodded.

"We should head back." They both picked up the large deer and headed in the direction of the place they had taken over.

Terminus. It used to be their greatest threat. Just thinking of it used to make the hairs on the back of Daryl's neck stand. Now it was their home. They had taken it over and started a living there.

Deep down, the whole group was terrified that it wouldn't last long, like the prison. They always avoided that thought, though. It was safe for now and that was good enough for all of them.

Beth groaned as she opened her eyes. She was grateful that the night before had no nightmares included. Her gunshot wounds still ached, but it was bearable. She didn't need to walk on the crutches anymore which was relieving for her. She felt so useless not being any help.

The sun wasn't completely up yet, so it was a bit difficult to see in the room. Beth stood off of the bed and quickly got dressed. Before she went out of the room, she considered leaving her gun on the bedside table. She took it every day just in case, but nothing seemed to happen to make her use it.

This time, she thought for just a second that she could leave it here, but the thought diminished into thin air. She kept it in her holster and went into the living area of the apartment.

It was almost completely empty. The couch up against the wall was so unused that it was pretty much for show. Without a seconds hesitation, she went through the abandoned lobby and out the front door. It was easier to see outside than indoors.

Beth easily made her way to the "square," as her group called it. She passed the alley that her friends had died in, giving it one glance before moving on.

The square hadn't changed much, except that the tables were pushed together so they could all talk while they ate. Like a family. She went into the pantry, which was right inside one of the buildings in the square, and pulled out a jug of water. The people from Terminus had the place pretty stocked.

She grabbed a cup off of the shelf beside it and poured some into it. It quickly helped her scratchy throat. She downed it quickly and walked out. This time, she was greeted by Glenn. "Hey, Glenn!" She sent him a smile and they locked eyes. His were tired with bags under them.

Beth's smile almost turned into a grimace as she realized why. Glenn walked- more like sulked- over to the table and sat down, then put his head in his hands. She was about to walk over there before she heard a holler from the main gate. She raced over, immediately recognizing the voice of Rick.

Michonne was already there by the time she arrived. Beth figured she would be since she had watch around this time.

Michonne and Beth held the fence open while Daryl and Rick walked in, their hands full. Beth raced to help carry the deer while Michonne stayed behind to close the gate. The three carried it back into the square. They placed it on the ground by the old grill. Glenn still sat at the table, but he was more alert now.

As soon as the deer was place down, Daryl turned to Beth with heavy breaths. "You alright?" he asked her. She grinned at him and nodded, then wrapped her arms around his waist. She pulled away quickly with her brow furrowed. "Are you bit or scratched?" He smiled at her. "Ain't no walker gonna get me."

It was then that the sun finally rose behind the trees. Daryl cringed back when it got in his eyes, then smiled down at the girl beside him. She was, too, looking up at the sun. The smile soon disappeared when a faint gunshot was heard in the woods. Everybody froze. Beth's hand hovered over her belt where her gun was. It was when the second one rung out when they quickly went into action, trying to find the source of it. All they knew was that it was somewhere in their "safe haven."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: REVIEW RESPONSES AT THE BOTTOM! HAPPY READING!**

For the first time in a while, Beth drew her gun with the intent of using. She wished she had grabbed her crossbow, which was now sitting in the apartment she's in.

She raced across the square with her gun gripped tightly. She pulled the hammer back, ready to use it, as Daryl ran along with her. Rick and Carl came out of their building when they ran by.

When another gunshot sounded, it was right by them. Daryl stopped and looked towards the fence to where it came from. He turned to the group. "Stay here," he instructed.

Everyone else listened, but Beth followed quickly. Daryl didn't bother trying; he personally didn't want them to be separated with danger around anymore either.

They climbed the fence. Michonne also followed with her sword already out of its sheath. They ventured into the woods, Daryl and Beth in front with Michonne right on their heels. Daryl had continued the lessons of tracking and hunting, so Beth was just as quiet as the man next to her.

As they got further, yells could be heard. They quickly spread out, getting distance between each other incase they got surrounded.

There, in the dead-center of the woods, were two teenagers and a woman. The woman had somehow gotten her leg broken; half of the bone was sticking out.

One of the teens, both boys, had a dirty and bloodied varsity jacket on him. He ran his fingers through his hair, obviously stressed and panicked from the look on his face.

The woman let out an ear-piercing scream as she desperately tried to grab at her leg, trying to make the pain stop. _I know the feeling, _Beth thought. Two walkers lie on the ground next to them with fresh gunshot wounds in their foreheads. A revolver lies about a foot away from the woman.

Beth stepped out of the trees, raising her gun and switching the safety off before standing tense with her shoulders squared. She immediately got their attention after signaling to Daryl and Michonne to hang low for a minute. She didn't want to give them a scare just yet.

"Hey! Back up!" She commanded. They obliged, but the woman stayed where she was on the ground. Beth slowly approached them, then kneeled down to get the revolver on the ground while still holding the people at gunpoint.

"Do you have any other weapons?" She questioned, authority leaking out of her voice. The one with the varsity jacket frantically shook his head. "We ain't got nothin', ma'am," he replied.

Beth narrowed her eyes at them before slowly turning the safety back on and putting the revolver in her belt, while slipping the pistol in her holster.

With a jerk of her head, the blonde signaled for Daryl and Michonne to step out. Daryl still had a bolt loaded, but the crossbow lied at his side. "P-please. Help my sister," one of the boys said.

Daryl and Beth shared an uneasy glance before Daryl spoke up. "We'll take you back to our camp and help your girl there." Relief flashed on their face as they helped the woman up. "If you try anything, you won't last long enough to even beg for forgiveness." Michonne spoke.

**A/N: Hey! So, as you (maybe) know, school has once again started up! Woohoo... not. Although, I have to admit, I really like my ELA class (mostly because we write a lot.) The updates will be slower as school progresses, but I should at least have on in every week. **

**Review responses:**

**SweetSeductionCherryB: Yeah, Bethyl never gets a break! SO MUCH TROUBLE! :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: Lol, that was almost the same review as kevkye's. I LOVE that you loved so many things that you listed. Problems are definitely spreading like the plague, if that made any sense at all... Lol! :) Thanks for your review!**

**kevkye: Yay! I wouldn't say it was perfect, though. Probably not my best work. I'm glad you can't wait for more! :D Thanks for your review!**

**cemmia: IKR! YAY! SEQUEL! I'm super happy that you thought it was a good start! Hopefully it will be a good middle and end, too! :D Thanks for reviewing!**

**walkingdeadlover38: OMG YAY! I don't think it was amazing, but THANKS! :P**

**DarylDixon'sLover: Uh oh is definitely the words I would use... Lol. Thanks for reviewing!**


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl suppressed the urge to yell in annoyance when the injured woman let out yet another loud groan. Instead, he just tightened the grip on his crossbow at his side and stayed right by Beth. Their weapons were already drawn.

Michonne was leading the way to Terminus as Beth and Daryl were behind the three stragglers just in case they tried anything.

The two boys were helping carry the girl; Beth could tell she was around her age. Twenty or twenty-one at least. The boys were obviously high-schoolers. The walk to Terminus was quiet, with the exception of the painful noises coming from the girl, and almost boring.

Beth and Daryl were still both on high alert, though there wasn't much danger. There could always be a surprise herd of walkers, but with winter coming there weren't very many anymore. Although, the winter in Georgia wasn't nearly as severe than other places.

When they arrived, Carl and Rick were by the gate ready to open it. They eyed the survivors cautiously, but let them in nonetheless. Michonne stayed behind to explain the situation to the others as Beth and Daryl directed the three to the small building they had turned into a mini-hospital.

Beth went to work immediately. One of the boys stayed behind, being the brother. "What's her name?" Beth asked as she reached for her small first-aid kit to grab painkillers. There had been plenty left when the war over Terminus was over.

"Sarah. I'm Adam." Beth nodded, not completely into the conversation. Daryl stayed back by the doors with his crossbow still in his hand. Beth gave Adam the medicine to give to his sibling as she looked at the injury on the leg. Blood seeped from the pants.

She rolled the bottom of Sarah's jeans up to get a closer look and she dreaded what she saw. She automatically recognized it as a bite. Beth sighed, frustrated, as Adam looked at her with a panicked look.

"Do something!" Beth made a quick decision. Turning to the younger boy next to her, she gave him one command. Tears were quickly flowing down his cheeks. "I need you to hold your sister down," she explained.

He hesitantly obliged. Beth shot her partner one look and he instantly recognized it. He grabbed the ax off of the shelf closest to him and hurriedly gave it to her, not wanting to risk tossing it across the room. He stayed by her this time.

Beth slowly raised the ax above her head as she focused on the space right above the bite. She threw it down straight through the leg where she'd wanted it to go. A tortuous crunch sounded in the room, mixed with Sarah's screams and Adam's desperate pleas.

"What are you doing to her?!" He demanded. He still held Sarah down as Beth raised the weapon and brought it down on the leg again.

Blood seeped out of the wound and the cot was quickly soaked with blood. Beth reached forward and grabbed a slight dirty cloth then pressed when the half of the calf was already gone. Sarah had fainted by now, not being able to stand the shock.

Adam released the woman as Beth wiped her blood-stained hands on her pants, feeling the bile rise in her throat from the part of the limb still lying on the ground.

"Just… press on the wound. Keep an eye on her," Beth told Adam. She still wasn't sure if that was enough time to save her; the sickness could have already spread through her veins. They would just have to wait until morning.

**A/N: PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE REVIEW, FAVORITE, AND FOLLOW. READ MY NEW CARL/OC STORY, Home! I'd really appreciate it! Thanks! BYEEEEEEEEE!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: UPDATE SCHEDULE AT BOTTOM! HAPPPYYY RRREEEAAADDDIIINNNGGG!**

Beth left Adam to stay with his unconscious sister. She knew that if she didn't make it, Adam would want as much time with his sibling that he could get. Like she didn't. Her and Daryl ventured outside to the square where the other teenage boy was sitting on one of the benches.

Glenn had his gun out in front of himself and was looking like he was interrogating the boy. Beth herself would have been intimidated if she didn't know Glenn and if the bags that lie under his eyes weren't there.

Beth gently placed a hand on his arm, silently telling him to back off. She sat down where Glenn previously was and Daryl sat with her. He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at the frightened kid. "Listen, boy. You come here 'cause of the signs, or you lookin' for trouble," he asked. Beth resisted the urge to snort and laugh, but instead grabbed his arm and led him away to talk to him.

"First of all, that kid is terrified. Lay off a bit. He's worried and stressed about his friends." He opened his mouth to reply, but Beth interrupted him while pointing an accusing finger at his chest. "Second, they didn't even come here. We found them in the middle of the woods with another injured person." He tried to speak again, but Beth would have none of it.

"And even if they did try to come here, we decided that we would start letting trustworthy people in for sanctuary. No need for the rudeness." Daryl sighed, not liking being defeated. Beth smiled warmly at him, then reached up on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Daryl kissed back, but grumbled under his breath when they pulled away. "Lighten up. Talk to the boy, but don't freak him out. Reassure him. I'm gonna go wash off and check on Judith."

They parted ways. Beth walked over to Rick who was also talking to Michonne again. The woman left to go continue her watch as a small smile appeared on Rick's face. Beth held back a smile of her own.

"Where's Judy?" she asked the man. "With Carl," he replied. Beth turned and made her way to the Grimes' apartment. When she got there, she saw Carl leaning over a crib they had found somewhere around Terminus.

Beth leaned against the doorway, admiring the love between siblings. Carl was acting fairly uncharacteristic and gently tickling his sister and making gooey noises. The sound of the small child's laughter was like music to her ears.

After a while, the blonde cleared her throat. Carl straightened up, sharply turning around to face Beth. He was getting taller as he matured; he was almost as tall as Beth.

"Hey. Just checkin' on Judith. How's she been?" Beth questioned. Carl beamed at her. "She's been great. She's gonna grow up to be just like her big brother." Beth grinned back at him and lightly slapped his arm. "Go ahead and get something to eat. I haven't seen you at all this morning," Beth told him.

Carl nodded and with one last peck on his sister's cheek, he left the room and the complex to go meet up with the rest of the group.

Carl, Beth realized, has gained his humanity back. She remembered when he was starting to go cold. Terminus had changed him for the better and so had the hope for his family.

Beth chuckled and grabbed an old blanket in the crib to swipe some spit-up off of the pillow next to Judith's head. She picked up the small baby into her arms and gently rocked her into a peaceful sleep.

**A/N: Thisv was sorta like a filler chapter. I wouldLve had this up sooner today, but I had STUPID TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES that I'm still kinda ticked off about. Anyway, I have a temporary update schedule! I'm hoping to start updating every Tuesday around this timeish. Hopefully it'll work out... And school is pretty easy right now. I've got an A in all of my classes and my math teacher is AWESOME! And I sit next to this really hot guy in science, but I'm not gonna go into details on that one... Hope you enjoyed!**

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

**kevkye: Of course they're always on alert! It's the zambie apocolyspe! And it hopefully) looks like Beth is remembering ome medical crap that Hershel taught her! And honestly, I have some things planned for the future that you will either hate or love. I hope it's the latter! Thanks for your review! :)**

**cemmia: IKR! I LOVE BETH! :D**

**Guest (no name): The next chap is coming Tuesday! :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**SweetSeductionCherryB: Yep, the old "cut the limb that was bitten off" trick! Lol, idk. And you will have to wait and see! Next chapter will reveal all and will really start to dive into the story more! :P**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: MUST READ A/N AT BOTTOM! VERY IMPORTANT**! HAPPY READING!

Beth woke to the sound of thunder echoing throughout the room. She had a vague memory as she looked outside into the dark night of Maggie comforting her when they were younger and the loud noise scaring her. She laughed at how frightened she had been; there are much worse things to be afraid of now.

Beth slowly rose from her bed, peeping into Daryl's bedroom to make sure he was sleeping well. She softly smiled as his muscled figure was curled into a slight ball. She'd never seen him so quiet before.

Beth quietly made her way into the living room with only the light of the full moon shining through the window to see where she was going. She sighed and wrapped her arms around her waist and sat down on the old and creaky couch.

A shiver traveled down her spine as she recalled another remembrance of Jackson sneaking into an apartment almost identical to her and Daryl's current one. Daryl had been there to help her out, just as he always was and will be.

The petite blonde pulled her sweater tighter around her as another round of thunder clapped. She stood, obviously not going to be able to sleep. She slowly made her way to the front door, not bothering to grab a weapon of any sort.

Beth stepped out of the lobby when she got outside and saw that the raining had stopped but the thunder was still as loud as ever. Even louder than the troubled scream that occurred right after another clap of the thunder.

Beth froze up, her muscles tense. She was almost certain that she imagined it. It had happened before when her mind tricked her. This one felt so real, though. She waited for the next one, standing there patiently. It came almost immediately after another loud boom.

She automatically took off in the direction of the noise, her mind in full-on survival mode. It would now automatically slip right into it when she was in a situation similar to this. The terrified shout happened again, closer. Her lungs burned as she ran past building after building to the source of the noise.

Daryl sprang up in his bed, hearing the front door shut. Sweat slid down his forehead as he fought to catch his breath before swinging his legs off of the bed and slowly and quietly exiting the bedroom.

His hand instinctively went up to grip the sling on his crossbow, but he wasn't surprised to find it not there. Daryl stealthily walked out the door and into the abandoned lobby. He made little to no noise as he ventured across the tile floor to what used to be the front desk.

The man stopped in his tracks as he saw a figure in front of him, right outside of the two double doors that open to the complex. Her smooth, now long hair brushed against her neck as she wind moved it. She reached behind her ear to put it back, then crossed her arms.

Daryl leaned an arm on the counter as many things ran through his mind. He knew that he would do whatever he could do to protect Beth. _His _Beth.

He softly grunted at the thought of he and Beth finally- hopefully- having their happy ending. There were no happy endings anymore. No more movies to cry about. No more waiting for your favorite TV show to air it's new season. **(A/N:Really, though. Pure torture.) **No more excitement to go pick up that brand new book at the store to read it the whole day without any worries at all.

Suddenly, as Daryl was watching his girlfriend, she become very rigid and tense. Daryl's eyes narrowed; he hadn't heard or seen anything out of the ordinary because of how hard he was thinking. He did, however, hear it soon after he noticed that something was wrong.

Daryl saw Beth break out into a sprint as a yell sounded throughout the community. She disappeared from sight as she rounded the corner. Daryl cursed before making a quick decision to turn around and grab their crossbows. They weren't very useful with no defense.

More strangled noises could be heard in the area as Daryl strapped on crossbow across his chest and one across his back as he sped out of the building. He quickly sound the area: the hospital.

He swung the doors open and charged inside, pulling the weapon from his back and getting it ready to fire. He dropped it when he saw what was happening.

A fresh walker crawled on top of defenseless Beth. She yanked at its hair and grabbed at every limb, using everything she had in her to fight back, but it was too late. The walker's teeth were already sunk into her shoulder, blood seeping out of the infectious wound.

**A/N: Heyo! So, umm, yeah... Pretty pretty please no hate messages! Just wait! I promise it will get better! Okay, running outta time! I'll respond to review individually tomorrow since there's not enough time tonight! BBBBYYYYEEEE!**


	6. Chapter 6

Beth had always thought about how she would go. Especially since the world ended. The earth seemed to slow as her arm holding the walker away seemed to give out.

She screamed when she felt the weight of Sarah, now a walker, fall on top of teeth sunk into her shoulder. Her eyes closed as she thought about _him._ _Daryl. _She wished she had said goodbye to him.

Daryl was frozen. He stared at the girl he loved as she tried as best as she could to stand and throw her attacker off. It had only been a few seconds since Beth was bitten.

Quickly regaining his composure, he lifted his crossbow and shot an arrow through its skull. It fell on top of Beth, now dead and not coming back this time.

With the little strength she had left, Beth threw the walker's body off of her, feeling herself slowly going into shock. It was silent for a minute as Beth lie on the ground, her breathing uneven and shaky. Tears dripped from her cheeks as she tried to ignore the searing pain up by her neck.

Daryl rushed forward when the silence was over, his face hovering over Beth's. He cursed and lifted her into his arms, dropping his crossbow with hers still on his back. He carried her out of the infirmary and into the cold night.

The blood from the wound seeped out of her shirt and her sleeve was desperately sticking to her skin. The blood loss was getting to Beth as her eyes closed, certain that it would be the last time she would see her love.

Before her lids completely shut, she reached up her hand and cupped Daryl's concentrated face in her hand. Her thumb rubbed over his scruffy cheek before it flopped down into her lap and she was unconscious.

Daryl was barely out of breath when he made it back to the old warehouse with Beth in his arms. She had fallen asleep on the way there, and he didn't even get to say goodbye. He knew he was being idiotic, but he wanted one last moment with her.

He placed her down on the ground up against the door. He felt her forehead, but was puzzled when it seemed cool instead of hot. The fever would have already kicked in. Shaking it off, he looked back at the wound on her. It had stopped gushing blood; it wasn't as deep as he had expected. Regardless, he felt himself starting to crack. A sob drew from his mouth as he crawled forward and embraced his love with the little time he had left with her.

Beth's eyes slowly peeled open. The first thing she noticed was Daryl's shoulders shaking. His forehead was resting on her good shoulder. She reached up her opposite hand, but stopped when she remembered. The searing pain in her shoulder reminded her.

Beth was utterly confused. Shouldn't she be dead? She felt fine, besides, of course, her shoulder. She was little sore in the rest of her body, but besides those two things, she was feeling okay.

Nonetheless, tears pooled in her eyes as the sobs coming from Daryl broke her. He had lost so much. She rested the side of her head on top of his. "Daryl," she whispered. "I'm still here. But you need to end it." Daryl shook his head. "I can't," he said. She had only seen this side of him once. He looked up and stared deep into her eyes, surprised to see her still alive.

"Maybe ya' won't turn," he tried. Beth almost scoffed at him but she just shook her head. "It's going to happen. You need to stop it. Or I will."

**A/N: DUN DUN DDDDUUUUNNNN! Is Beth gonna die? Is DARYL gonna die?! Why don't you guys go vote on the poll on my profile and find out in future chapters? I think that's the best idea ever! ADVERTISING IS FUN! :D Just kidding. Really though, pretty pretty please check out the poll on my profile to see who will die first in the book/story. Because... it's gonna happen. SOMEBODY'S GONNA DIE!**

**REVIEW RESPONSES FOR CHAPTER 5**

**DarylDixon'sLover: Omg YES! Just wait... It's gonna be EPIC!**

**MamaDCB: IKR! Trust me though, there is an awesome reason for Beth getting bit. You just won't know it for a few more chapters...**

**cemmia: Lol, yeah, I hoped I would get some sort of reaction like that. **

**kevkye: Ikr. I'm so mean for ending it there last chap. GRR ME! And lol, I DIDN'T MEAN TO MAKE YA CRY! :P Beth can never get a break! Aww, thanks! I wouldn't say amazing... :D**

**A/N: NEXT CHAPTER IS GOING UP NEXT TUESDAY! SO... YEAH! READ IT WHEN IT GETS OUT! VOTE ON DAH POLL! FOLLOW, FAVORITE, AND REVIEW! GEKJGAUTIUWBU BYE!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT THINGIES AT THE BOTTOM! PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE READ! HAPPY READING!**

Beth was more confused than ever. It had been three hours and she hadn't even gotten a fever yet. Not even a little warm. While grateful that she wasn't dying (yet) she was puzzled. Daryl was just as weirded out as her.

They spent as much time together as Beth's fever never hits. When the sun starts to rise and the storm quiets, the blood as completely stopped coming from her wound. Beth stays sitting against the wall, having not moved her position for a while. Daryl sits next to her, gripping her hand as they spend the last few minutes of her life together. Or so they think.

"Daryl, I don't know what's happening." Beth voices. Daryl shakes his head in misunderstanding, clearly not getting this sick joke either. He didn't know who was playing it, but he was having enough.

"I honestly feeling nothing at all! Of course, my shoulder aches, but that's it! No fever, nothing!" Daryl looks up at her from chewing his thumbnail. He grips her hand harder and draws her close to him, burying his head in her hair from behind.

"We'll figure it out. Just... " Beth could hardly believe what was in front of her. Daryl Dixon was speechless. Yes, it was a very bad situation, but she had never seen him speechless. "Hey." He looked back into her eyes again.

"Enjoy the time we have together now. Can you do me a favor, though?" Daryl narrowed his eyes at the ground, looking down again. He wanted to stay with her.

Beth sighed as she said the next thing. "I want to say goodbye to Glenn and Rick. Can you bring them? I'll be fine here," she explained. Daryl's narrowed eyes turn into a scowl. "Alright." He grumbles. Beth goes back to the wall as Daryl rises from the ground.

Daryl leaves to exit, looks back at Beth, and goes back for a second. He leans down and firmly presses his lips to Beth's for what could be the last time. Beth hands rise to his hair and draws his face closer.

Beth sits up straighter to get into a more comfortable position. Daryl squats on the ground and they're at the same height now. Beth pulls away, desperately trying to gain back her breath.

Daryl wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her body to his, smothering her to his hard chest. He rests his forehead in the top of her head and whispers a phrase she never thought would come out of his mouth anytime soon.

"I love you." Beth smiles into his chest and nuzzles her cheek against his wet leather vest. "I love you, too." Daryl lets go of his death grip and Beth removes her arms from around his neck.

Daryl stands and leaves the old barn as Beth shivers from her wet clothes. She looks across the room and shivers as she remembers the memories from this old room. The writing was still on the walls. She quickly averted her eyes, slowly standing and avoiding any pressure on her bad arm.

Beth bends at the waist, spotting her crossbow that Daryl had placed on the ground. She slightly smiled at all of the good times and bad times she'd had with the thing. She was extremely grateful that Daryl had taught her how to shoot one. It's saved her life more than a few times. If only it could save her now.

**A/N: HEY Y'ALL! Just wanted to say, I'm taking the next week off for a short little vacation from this story because MY SCHEDULE IS SO FULL! I HATE SCHOOL ACTIVITIES BUT I LOVE THEM! BTW, THE POLL IS STILL OPEN FOR WHO WILL DIE FIRST! So far, it's a tie between Glenn and Adam. PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE VOTE! I WILL HAVE THE POLL UP FOR 2 MORE WEEKS, WHICH WILL BE THE UPDATE WITH THE DEATH IN IT! ALSO, ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING, THIS STORY IS T FOR A REASON! THERE WILL BE NO SEX IN IT! MAYBE A MAKE-OUT SESSION, BUT THAT'S WHERE I DRAW THE LINE! Plus, it's kinda the apocalypse, so there's not much time for that anyway. So, if you're hoping for some action (wiggles eyebrows), this ain't your story. ZOMBIE ACTION, however, WILL BE HUGE! ON TO THE REVIEWS!**

Review Responses:

**sourpatchkid26: HAHA! You think no one's gonna die! You're in for a big "treat." :D THANKS FOR REVIEWING!**

**DarylDixon'sLover: I don't want me to kill them either! But, you can decide you want me to kill in the poll on meh profile! Thanks for your opinion and review!**

**cemmia: Maybe they will both live. Maybe Beth has super powers that makes her a superhero that can fly off into the sunset with Daryl! Nawww... too complicated! Lol! Thanks for reviewing!**

**kevkye: Hehe... MAYBE BETH WON'T TURN! ****_MAYBE! _****You don't know for sure! I feel so bad for torturing the people I write about... BUT IT'S KINDA FUN! THANKS FOR REVIEWING!**


	8. Chapter 8

Daryl returned shortly after he left with Glenn and Rick by his side. Glenn was the first to notice the deep bite on Beth's shoulder. His face fell, seeming impossibly more depressed than he already was. He slowly walked toward the girl, reaching his arm out. Rick stayed back and talked the situation through with Daryl.

Glenn slowly and softly traced the bite. Beth shrugged as more tears came to her eyes. "I know Daryl brought you along to say goodbye… but I don't know why I haven't turned yet." Her voice cracked. "I can't feel it spreading. I don't feel warm or hot. It's almost as if… I was never bit."

Glenn pulled his sister into a bone-crushing hug. Beth let the tears loose for what felt like the thousandth time that night.

"Beth." She pulled back from the hug and looked at what was behind Glenn. Rick looked at her with pity in his eyes. She didn't want his pity, though. She'd stopped accepting pity a while back.

"I'm fine," she told the men in the room. The thing was, it was true. "What if you're immune or somethin,'" Daryl spoke. He was being strong, but Beth could easily tell that he was struggling to keep it together.

Beth's eyes snapped to his. No. It was impossible! "How," she whispered. "How would that happen?" Rick rubbed the ongrowing beard on his face with the palm of his hand. It made Beth cringe at the scratchy noise it made.

"Maybe the scientist know something. Eugene," Daryl stated. He looked around at the other faces around him before coming back up to Beth's side. "Maybe," she said, slowly and unsure.

"I'll go get him. I want to tell everyone else, too." Beth stormed out of the place, now desperate for some fresh air and some room to actually think. Now that she learned she may have more time than usual, she wanted a bit of space to clear her mind before asking Eugene about anything.

Beth didn't rush on the way to Eugene's, Abraham's, and Rosita's apartment complex. They all stayed in the same building, but different rooms.

She stopped to take a deep, calming breath outside of the complex. She leaned against the wall. The sun was still right on the horizon, about to rise completely. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and no doubt looked like a wreck.

Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth and drew her arms behind her, pulling her backwards. The girl struggled and writhed to get free, yet none of her attempts worked.

She was slammed harshly against a wall and felt cool metal on her neck. She quickly looked up and saw Adam there with a slick and sharp knife against her throat. Denial. He'd refused to believe that his sister was gone for good.

"Why?!" he yelled at her. Beth kept her face neutral and straight, determined to talk him through it. "Adam…" she said slowly. "Put the knife down. You can stop this and we can walk away. No harm done," she explained.

All he did was push the knife harder. Beth winced this time. "Why couldn't you save her?!" She could see now that his cheeks were red from the tears that had fallen. "It was too late."

A scream flew from her throat when Adam reached up and pushed a dirty finger into one of the bite marks. It was still sore, but it brought her an excruciating pain._Why_, she wondered, _did she always end up in this positions? _

The grip on the girl fortunately loosened up. She saw Adam's eyes widen for a split second- then he dropped fluidly to the ground. Beth caught her breath, he hand flying up to check for blood on her neck.

She looked down at Adam's lifeless body. A bolt was stuck between his shoulder blades, right where his heart was. He bled out fast, soon dying. Without hesitating, Beth pulled her gun out from its thigh holster and pointed it at his head before firing a round. Adam was dead now.

She looked up and met Daryl's eyes. They stared back at each other for a while, silently communicating with each other. They both understood: it had to be done.

**A/N: Hey y'all! I'm back! Sorry that I didn't update last week, though I said that I was taking the week off to sorta get some things done on my other account on here. Anyway, you all voted for the death! Glenn came in a close second which was kinda surprising!**

**Review Responses**

**DarylDixon'sLover: I honestly don't either! And I luckily have no plan to in the future... Hehe! Thanks for reviewing!**

**kevkye: Of course they would! They are, of course, IN LOVE! :D Thanks for the wonderful compliments on the chap and the splendid review!**

**cemmia: IKR, superpowers would be awesome! But unfortunately, no superpowers for Beth. Or Daryl or anyone. LOL! And yay! Hopefully I did the fluff right on that last chap!**

**lahnirose: Here's the chap! Aww, thanks! I was scared that it wouldn't have been a very good sequel. You're so nice! Thanks for saying that I'm a good author. My sister constantly is a douche and tells me the exact opposite! And idk... You will just have to wait to find out! :P Thanks so much for your lovely review!**

**A/N: UNTIL NEXT TIME, FELLOW BETHYL LOVERS! WHO'S EXCITED ABOUT THE PREMIERE ON SUNDAY?! I KNOW I AM! IF ANYONE WANTS TO, LIKE, CHAT ABOUT IT OR SOMETHING AFTER IT PREMIERES, JUST PM ME AND WE CAN TOTALLY FREAK OUT ABOUT IT TOGETHER! BYEEEEEE! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

Daryl gently grabbed Beth's arm and took her inside of the building, not even bothering to spare one more glance to Adam's lifeless body. Now they had two more skeletons in their closet to add to the hundred other ones.

"How are we going to tell William?" Beth asked. Daryl knew that she was referring to the other boy in the woods. He just didn't know that his name William. "The truth," Daryl replied. Beth nodded as they went to the stairwell of the building.

"I thought that she would've lived. I thought that I could save Sarah. I was too late." Beth ranted on and on.

Daryl pulled Beth to the side when they reached Eugene's floor. "Beth." He said firmly. She turned her attention to him when she heard her name pass through his lips. "You did what ya' could. Nobody's gonna blame ya'."

Daryl pulled Beth into a bone-crushing hug then, and she gladly returned it. "You ain't gettin' outta my sight anymore." He said in her blonde hair. She nodded, but decided to talk to him about it later.

When they pulled away, Beth placed a soft kiss on Daryl's cheek, earning a light blush from him. She giggled, despite the situation, and grabbed his hand, pulling him along to Eugene's apartment.

She knocked softly when they stood in front of his door. They could hear his booming footsteps from inside, then another big boom. Daryl smirked when he realized that he must have tripped before containing himself when the door swung open.

Eugene stands in the doorway, rubbing the back of his head. Daryl and Beth exchanged a glance before Daryl stood slightly in front of her, just in case Abraham was inside as well and saw the bite.

"Come on in." The scientist instructed.

The couple slowly walked inside and stood against the wall as Eugene oh-so-smoothly lied straight across the couch with a hand behind his head, trying to look cool. He miserably failed due to the potato sized mullet on top of his head.

"I'm gonna cut right to the chase." Beth said. They needed to be out quickly; at dawn, most of the group would wake up. She didn't want to worry anyone. She'd made Rick and Glenn be secret about it.

"I was bit a couple hours ago." Eugene's eyes snapped open and he was fully alert now. "But I don't have a fever, the bite is only sore, and I feel fine. Do you know what that could be?" Beth questioned him, leaning forward as if examining him.

Eugene was very hesitant before answering. "Yes. What I'm about to tell you both is classified information. You cannot share this with anyone. You read me?" They both nodded. Eugene sighed.

"There's another one like you." Beth's brow furrowed and she glanced at Daryl to see him wearing the same expression. "What… What do you mean?"

"Her name is Angela. She was my sister's best friend. She'd currently in Washington. She got bit in the side and didn't develop a fever or any of the symptoms, just like you." Beth and Daryl were barely prepared for what came out of his mouth next.

"Angela is the cure. She's immune. Now you are, too."

**A/N: So... SUNDAY NIGHT WAS AWESOME! Seriously though, I leaped out of my chair and almost, like, hit the TV when that dude grabbed Judith. And Tyreese was just awesome! I loved that scene! I honestly started crying at the Rick/Carl/Judith reunion. I yelled at the TV when Daryl and Carol hugged... BETHYL FOREVER! :D Tell me what y'all thought of the episode in the reviews!**

**Review Responses**

**DarylDixon'sLover: Yeah.. Adam was kinda psychotic. Lol. Thanks for the review!**

**kevkye: You are, like, one of the nicest reviewers ever. Seriously. How do you feel about hte answers Beth got? Honestly, I've been planning this since the middle of Stuck... LOL! :D Thanks for reviewing!**

**cemmia: Thanks! I wasn't too sure if last chapter was good or not... I want this Sunday to come quicker, too! I was very pleased with the premiere, though. Except the Carol and Daryl scene... :( Thanks for reviewing! :D**

**lahnirose: I really like moments like that, too, between them. It's definitely not romantic, but it's like brother-sister stuff. I think it's so cute! Thanks so much for the review! :D**

**Anyway... SEE Y'ALL NEXT TIME! BYEEEEE! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

Beth and Daryl were both stunned completely into silence. They stared at Eugene, not completely believing him. Beth was the cure. The weight of the world was literally sitting on her shoulders. She had no idea how she could handle this.

Before she could think straight, she was up from leaning on the wall and throwing the door open, darting down the stairs. She rushed out of the complex, not even bothering to glance over at Adam's dead body.

The tears were running down her face at a dramatic speed for the 1,000th time that night. She sped through all of the buildings, the tears blurring her vision. She knew exactly where she was headed.

When Beth reached her destination, she threw the door open and slammed it shut behind her. She fell to the floor in the almost instantly, sobbing.

In between the tears, she wondered what she and the world had done to deserve this terrible fate. A zombie apocalypse was their punishment, as stupid as it sounded. The things that people usually made horror movies about had taken over the earth, and it was way too late to start over.

Beth wondered how in the world she was the cure. How the hell was she different from anyone else on this planet?! Why her? _Maybe it would've been better if I had died back at the farm,_ she wondered to herself. Then she wouldn't have to deal with any of this anymore. She would be with Shawn, Hershel, her mother… Maggie.

She quickly eliminated that thought from her mind. _How would they feel if they could hear your thoughts right now?!_ she scolded herself. She angrily wiped the tears from her cheeks and eyes and stood, wrapping her arms around herself in a form of comfort.

Beth hesitantly and slowly analyzed the place she was in. It was exactly how she remembered it to be. A blood stain still lies on the carpet. Jackson's blood. She scoffs when she sees it. _He deserved it._

Not even startled by that last thought, she made her way to her old room It was completely empty besides the dresser in the corner and the bed frame that held the mattress. Her and Daryl had moved that back into their new apartment.

Speaking of, Daryl already knew where she was headed. He knew that she sometimes went there when she was upset. It didn't surprise her one bit when she heard his thumping footsteps coming down the hall outside the room.

"Beth!" he called. She ran a shaky hand through her hair and stepped out into the living room. "Hey."

He stood with his crossbow in his hand, panting from trying to follow her. "So, you're the cure." Beth barked a short laugh. "Yeah, I think we established that." Silence enveloped them both.

"You know," Beth started, "I always thought it would be you or Rick to end up saving the world. I never thought it would be somebody as weak as me." Daryl's head snapped up from looking down at the floor to meet her eyes.

"You ain't weak. Not even a little bit." Beth smiled warmly at him as Daryl took a step closer. "What do you want to do?" Beth bit her lip, looking down at her feet. The decision was already made. "We're going to Washington."

**A/N: OMG GUYS! I UPDATED! IT'S A MIRACLE! Seriously though, I am SOOOOO SORRY that I haven't updated for about 3 weeks. School has been driving me crazy, I've been incredibly busy with meh cello business, and I just haven't had barely any time. BUT! I'M BACK! WOOHOO! ALSO, I HAVE A POLL UP THAT WILL DETERMINE WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE! YAY! INVOLVED! REVIEW QUESTION: What would be your perfect Bethyl reunion to happen on the show?**

**Review responses**

**DarylDixon'sLover: Yay! Thanks! :P**

**MamaDCB: IKR! It was pretty OOC! NO HUGGING ANYONE BUT BETH! LOL! So excited for their reunion on the show!**

**cemmia: Yep! Bethy is the cure! And, of course, now they have to go and try to save the world! Classic... Thanks for reviewing! :D**

**cfern64: Yay! And Daryl was acting kind of OOC that first episode. Hopefully he'll run up to Beth and hug her when they reunite! And those delays were pretty cheesy, but still fairly effective. Thanks for reviewing! :)**

**kevkye: Aww! Thanks! And, yeah, they're gonna be pretty much inseparable in this story. And, lol, Eugene. I tried to get his stupid seriousness right. Hopefully it worked! Yep, Beth's immune! So excited for people to see them go to Washington! Sorry that the update took SO FREAKING LONG, but here ya go! Thanks for reviewing! :D :P**

**lahnirose: Yep! Most definitely going to D.C! Aww, you're so sweet! You're totally welcome! I'm sorry that it took so long for this update! And many more bro/sis moments from Glenn and Beth to come!**

**Maddie (Guest): Aww, thanks! Yes, oc course they're going to D.C! And idk... I have a few ideas how I'll do it, though. I'd never kill off Beth! She'd one of my favorite characters, too! Especially since she's gotten a lot stronger on the show. I'm so sorry about the late update, though! Thanks for reviewing!**

**ElizabethAshlynn14: Cool! That was totally the intention! Thanks for reviewing!**

**AAAAAANNNNNNNDDDDD NOW I'M TIRED! THANKS FOR READING, EVERYONE!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: READ THE A/N AT BOTTOM! HAPPY READING!**

Daryl looked across the room at Beth from where she lied. They had kept the bite from everyone else the whole day. The younger girl had almost immediately collapsed on the couch from exhaustion that night.

Daryl, on the other hand, had found it much harder to sleep. He had a growing worry that Beth would awaken, but with her eyes a yellow color and only growls emitting from her. He would completely break if that happened. And most likely get killed.

So, he stayed up. He tried to sleep, of course, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw his worst nightmare. His girl as a walker.

Daryl very quietly ventured into the kitchen, taking a washcloth and wetting it, bringing it back to the living room. He awkwardly ran it over a patch of dried blood that had stuck to her forehead and tried his best to clean it off without waking her, but he had never shown this much amount of care for anyone before. He's had no reason to do this.

Beth stirred anyway. She inhaled sharply before realizing that it was just Daryl in front of her. She gently grabbed his wrist in front of her face. "What are you doing?" she whispered, though for no reason. It's not like she would disturb anyone if she didn't.

Daryl's face flushed in the darkness. She grinned. "It's alright. You just frightened me a bit." She took the washcloth from his hand, reached over to turn the lamp on, and examined a scratch on his forehead. Not from a walker, obviously, but it was still fairly deep.

She lightly dabbed at the wound, trying her best not to hurt him. He kept a straight face the entire time.

"Couldn't sleep?" she questioned. He shrugged, his eyes drifting to the old and worn carpet. His head stayed straight. "It's okay. I wouldn't have been able to either. If it was you, I mean…"

Her words seized then, as she was reminded of the bite mark on her shoulder. She almost forgot about it. She assumed it was a good thing that it wasn't hurting. Just another reminder that she was the cure to this hell.

She placed the cloth on table next to the couch and grabbed Daryl's hand, squeezing it close to her chest. They sat there in silence as she thought about the man before her. His square jaw, his deep eyes… His loyalty and courage. It almost got him killed every day.

"I love you," she whispered under her breath. It was so quiet Daryl almost didn't hear it. He had hunter's ears, though. Of course he picked it up. He could almost hear the wind lightly whistling outside, his hearing was so good.

"I love you, too," he grunted back. She smiled at the ground. "You know, I can't really tell if this is a good thing or a bad thing. This whole _I am the cure _bullcrap. Pros: I won't die. At least not from a bite. Cons: If everyone else around me dies, I'll be all alone. What am I even going to do after I cure the world in DC? Absolutely nothing. I have nothing to go back to…" she trailed off.

Her head snapped up. "No. I do have something to go back to. You. Neither of us are going anywhere. You and me." Daryl slowly nodded before looking back at her. "You and me."

**A/N: Next chap, they leave for Washington. I REALLY NEED YOU GUYS TO VOTE ON THE POLL! IT WILL DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! THANKS FOR READING! SORRY, NO REVIEW RESPONSES! REALLY TIRED! GONNA GO PASS OUT! GOODBYEEEEEEE! :D**


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